Push cart attachment



Au 9, 1966 E w, BEHRms 3,265,297

PUSH CART ATTACHMENT Filed May 28. 1965 lNVENTOR. fieirm:

United States Patent 3,265,297 PUSH CART ATTACHMENT I Errol] W. Behrens, 2732. /z Lydia St., Jacksonville, Fla.

3220s Filed May 28, 1965, Ser. No. 459,779

2 Claims. (Cl. 235-4 are returned to the shelves to decrease the total purchase price to that of the available money, all to the shoppers embarrassmentand dismay. The situation is also somewhat flustrating to the cashiers at the self-service shopping centers for the reason that they must make notations to account for the discrepancies between the tape summaries and cash register receipts and. it is apparent that much time is consumed in rectifying the unfortunate miscalculations upon the part of the shopper.

One object of the invention is to provide an adding machine attachment for push carts used in shopping areas so as to avoid such embarrassing situations.

' Yet another object is to provide an adding machine attachment for push carts of the kind used in self-service shopping areas and which attachment can be carried about by the shopper when not in use as for example in the handbag of women shoppers the attachment being useful in summing the purchase prices of the articles contemplated for purchase as the articles are selected and placed in the usual baskets provided in such push carts and being readily attached and detached from the push carts.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive adding machine attachment for shoppers push carts .of the kind contemplated herein and which can be manufactured from components readily available on the market -.by simple procedures easily taught to unskilled help the attachment being provided with a connecting device which is readily adaptable to use with different types of lightweight adding machines having working components that are manipulated by hand.

A further'object of the invention is to provide an adding machine attachment for push carts that can be assembled inexpensively and thereafter used and handled without danger to the user or to the personal propertyof the user. A specific object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive device for clipping a variety of lightweight adding machines on shoppers push carts and which, enables the machine to be readily detached and safely handled by the shopper when not being used.

7 The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following descrip- 3,265,297 Patented August 9, 1966 tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention and shows the adding machine attachment in an attached position on the handle of a conventional shoppers push cart, only a fragment of the latter being shown since the general construction of such push carts and their use is well known in the art.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the connecting device employed for releasably connecting the adding machine to the handle or push bar of the push cart, the adding machine and certain fasteners used in the structure being shown in broken lines and a fragment of the push cart handle being also shown in broken lines.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through thepush bar or handle and the connecting device as seen along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1, the adding machine per se being illustrated in broken lines and the detached position of certain clip components of the connecting device being also shown in broken lines.

With particular reference to FIG. 1 a common push cart used by shoppers in self-service shopping areas is depicted at 10 and theadding machine attachment for the cart is designated at 11.

Push cart 10 has the usual open top wire basket 12for receiving the articles as they are selected and placed in the basket by the shopper and for thereafter supporting the articles while the shopper continues to look for other purchases. The basket includes opposite side walls 13 and has a rear wall designated at 14. Wall 14 of the push cart has a plate component 15 which is attached to a transversely extending inclined wire panel 16 by yet another wire panel, not shown, but which is arranged horizontally in the :basket and offset from the bottom wall of the basket. Panel 16 is situated in the basket in front of the back wall to provide a separate compartment 17 articles purchased by the shopper, the compartmented structure of the basket being common but forming no part of the subject matter of the instant invention.

The basket is supported on a wheeled frame work 18 having upwardly and rearwardly inclined side arms 19 at the opposite sides of the basket. The arms 19 of the frame work 18 are made from a single piece of tubing in the structure depicted, the tubular member being bent to provide a transversely extending cylindrical handle or push bar 20 that interconnects the arms 19 at their upper reaches and in back of the basket. Handle 20 extends horizontally at the back of the push cart and serves as a convenient place for the shopper to secure the attachment 11 in a position for ready use.

The attachment 11 includes an adding machine 21 and has a connecting device 22 for use in releasably attaching the machine to the handle 20 of the push cart. The working components 23 of the adding machine are housed in an elongated shallow casing 24 of the machine. Casing 24 has openings 25 at its fornt face 26 through which the working components 23 are hand manipulated by the shopper through use of a stylus designated at 27 and which may be connected to the adding machine by a flexible cord or string indicated at 28. Indicia 29 are provided on the front face of the casing and is used as a reference by the shopper in manipulating the working. components 23 through use of the stylus. Other openings are also provided in the casing so that other indicia 30 imprinted on certain movable disc members of the working components may be read through the casing to indicate the summation of the machine after suitable manipulation of the Working components by the shopper. The spe ific structure of the working components and their operation in the adding machine illustrated are shown in United States Patent No. 2,797,047. Other hand manipulatable working components may be used in lieu of those described.

The means provided for connecting the adding machine to the handle is best seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. It is designed to be readily afiixed to a variety of small lightweight commercially available adding machines of the kind that may be carried about by the user and which are provided with Working components that are housed in the casing having a flat back wall through which the connect-or may be secured. The connecting device 22 comprises an elongated flat plate member 31 which is centered on the back wall 32 of the casing 24 and fixed at its front face to the casing by a suitable glue or adhesive as the attachment is assembled. Plate 31 may be made from metal but is preferably made from a suitable lightweight plastic material such as Plexiglas or other lightweight plastic material.

Plate 31 carries a pair of spaced clips 33 and 34 at its back face which are adapted to cooperate in securing the elongated casing 24 to and in parallel with the handle of the push cart. The clips are structurally alike and are affixed to the plate 31 symmetrically in spaced relation between the opposite ends of the plate in the same manner as is illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 by reference to clip 34. Clip 34 is made from an elongated flat rectangular member 36 which is cut from a piece of flat spring steel to provide the desired resiliency to serve as a clip. Member 36 is bent or otherwise permanently deformed to provide an elongated flat medial portion 37 intermediate the opposite end extremities 38 and 39 of the member. The member 36 is secured to the back face 40 of the connector plates 31 by means of a hollow shank rivet indicated at 41 and in a manner such that the medial portion 37 extends crosswise at the back face of the plate.

The inner or front face 42 of plate 31 has a recess 43 which is adapted to accommodate the head 44 of the rivet 41 in the final assembly of the connector 22. The hollow shank 45 of the rivet extends through a suitable bore 46 which opens at one end into the recess 43 and at the other end through the back face 40 of plate 31. The medial portion 37 of member 36 is also provided with an opening 47 which is adapted to receive the end of the rivet as the connector is assembled. This end of the rivet is flared outwardly by a suitable dye component in the manufacture of the connector 22 to provide a lip which engages the member 36 and fixes the parts together.

As seen in FIG. 3 the spring steel member 36 is bent at the opp-oiste ends of the medial portion 37 so that the opposite end lengths 49 of the member 36 extend in. back of the connector plate 31. The lengths 49 are spaced as seen in FIG. 3 and each length has a return bend 50 between its opposite ends and which is spacedly offset from the back of plate 31. This arrangement provides spaced inner and outer sections 51 and 52 respectively for each of the lengths and which are integrally connected to their respective bends 50. The arrangement is such that the inner sections 51 of the lengths 49 are disposed in the space between the outer sections 52 and the extremities 38 and 39 of the lengths are more or less shielded by the outer sections 52 from direct con tact bythe hands, making it safer to handle them if the extremities 38 and 39 were more exposed to such contact.

'The outer sections 52 are of course integral with the medial portion 37 and extend rearwardly from the plate to the respective return bends 50, whereas the inner sections 51 extend forwardly from the bends 50 toward the connector plate 31 and whereat they terminate in spaced relation to the medial portion 37. The return bends 50 define an opening for receiving the push bar when the attachment is clipped on the push cart and of course the push bar is withdrawn through the opening by the user when the machine is detached from the push cart. This arrangement provides a smooth surface 53 at the ends of the spaced prongs 54 and 55 formed by the end lengths 49 of the member and which serve to avoid damage to the handle or injury to the user of the attachment as in many other types of clips.

As seen in FIG. 3 both of the inner sections 51 are arcuately shaped so that the handle 20 seats itself firmly between the inner sections 51 when the clip is attached to the handle. The normal position for the prongs is seen by the broken lines 56 in FIG. 3 and it is deemed obvious that the prongs 54 and 55 move apart due to the resilient nature of the spring steel as the handle is caused to pass into and out of the space 57 between the section 51 and that section 51 grip the handle at its opposite sides when the machine is clipped on the push cart.

From the foregoing disclosure and description it is deemed evident that an attachment for push carts is provided which may be used by the shopper during the course of shopping and which may be constructed inexpensively while nevertheless providing a device which is safe to use. By use of the connecting device disclosed herein various different types of adding machines may be adapted for attachment to push carts of the kind contemplated.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure chine having a casing and working components housed in and manipulatable by the shopper at the front face of said casing, and a device releasably connecting said adding machine to the elongated push bar of the push cart to dispose said adding machine outwardly thereof and facing the shopper; said casing having a back wall, said device comprising a plate component glued to said back wall, a pair of spaced clips for releasably gripping the push bar; each of said clips comprising an elongated resilient member having opposite end lengths, connecting means for fastening said clips to said plate component betweensaid end lengths, said end lengths having respective first sections extending rearwardly of said plate component in spaced relation, and having respective end sections spaced from each other and disposed in the space between said first sections, said end lengths having respective return bends integrally interconnecting the first sections and end sections of respective said end lengths, said return bends being spaced to provide an opening into the clip for receiving the push bar into gripping engagement in the space between said end sections and for withdrawal of the push bar from gripping engagement in the space between said end section upon bending of said end lengths of said resilient member.

2. The adding machine attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a pair of rivets each having a head and a shank, said plate having a pair of spaced bores therethrough extending between its face glued to said back wall and a face opposite thereto, said plate having a pair of recesses in said face glued to said back wall at the respective ends of said boresthereat, each said head of said rivet being disposed in a respective said recess with said shank extending through respective said bore, said shanks of said rivets extending through respective said clips between said end lengths, said rivets being flared outwardly at its end opposite to said head to attach said clips to said plate with said clips in nesting engagement between said opposite face of said plate and said opposite ends of said rivets.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 307,761 11/1884 Harger a- 24-257 901,179 10/1908 Kunkel 24- 2s'7 6 Primos.

Russell -2 235-1 Brockway. Wyckoif 235 1.2

Menes. Renfrow.

Miller 40308 10 LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

. LEO SMILOW, C. C. GOVELL, Assistant Examiners. 

1. AN ADDING MACHINE ATTACHMENT FOR RELEASABLE CONNECTION TO AN ELONGATED PUSH BAR OF A WHEELED SHOPPING CART FOR USE BY THE SHOPPER COMPRISING AN ADDING MACHINE HAVING A CASING AND WORKING COMPONENTS HOUSED IN AND MANIPULATED BY THE SHOPPER AT THE FRONT FACE OF SAID CASING, AND A DEVICE RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID ADDING MACHINE TO THE ELONGATED PUSH BAR OF THE PUSH CART TO DISPOSE SAID ADDING MACHINE OUTWARDLY THEREOF AND FACING THE SHOPPER; SAID CASING HAVING A BACK WALL, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A PLATE COMPONENT GLUED TO SAID BACK WALL, A PAIR OF SPACED CLIPS FOR RELEASABLY GRIPPING THE PUSH BAR; EACH OF SAID CLIPS COMPRISING AN ELONGATGED RESILECNT MEMBER HAVING OPPOSITE END LENGTHS, CONNECTING MEANS FOR FASTENING SAID CLIPS TO SAID PLATE COMPONENT BETWEEN SAID END LENGTHS, SAID END LENGTHS HAVING RESPECTIVE FIRST SECTIONS EXTENDING REARWARDLY OF SAID PLATE COMPONENT IN SPACED RELATION, AND HAVING RESPECTIVE END SECTIONS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST SECTIONS, SAID END LENGTHS HAVING RESPECTIVE RETURN BENDS INTEGRALLY INTERCONNECTING THE FIRST SECTIONS AND END SECTIONS OF RESPECTIVE SAID END LENGTHS, SAID RETURN BENDS BEING SPACED TO PROVIDE AN OPENING INTO THE CLIP FOR RECEIVING THE PUSH BAR INTO GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID END SECTIONS AND FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE PUSH BAR FROM GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID END SECTION UPON BENDING OF SAID END LENGTHS OF SAID RESILIENT MEMBER. 